DAYTON – A late-game push wasn't enough for the Wright State men's basketball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Raiders fell 75-71 to Northern Kentucky in Horizon League action inside the Nutter Center.
 
Wright State (15-12, 12-6 Horizon) got off to a slow start and trailed by 12 at the halftime break, but 12-0 scoring run coupled between the closing moments of the first half and the opening two minutes of the second half pulled the Raiders to within six points. Northern Kentucky (15-10, 11-5 Horizon) responded by scoring the next 10 points, only to see Wright State answer with an immediate 7-0 run of their own to keep things interesting.
 
The final two minutes featured a combined 26 points, including 16 from Wright State, as the Raiders hit four three-pointers behind full court pressure and putting NKU on the free throw line. Grant Basile's three with 16 seconds remaining cut the margin to just two at 73-71, but the visitors hit both of their final free throws to end the afternoon.
 
Basile finished with a game-high 25 points, connecting on nine of his 15 shot attempts with a trio of three-pointers, as he narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds, also the best of the afternoon. Trey Calvin also connected on three three-point baskets as part of his 13-point afternoon, adding six rebounds and a career-best five steals. Tanner Holden was the third Raider in double figures, chipping in 13 points as well.  
 
Wright State shot 37 percent (22-of-59) from the floor with nine three-pointers on 25 attempts (36 percent), six of which came in the second half. Northern Kentucky finished the afternoon shooting 58 percent (29-of-50) with a 5-of-15 (33 percent) mark from three-point range. The Raiders were 18-of-22 (82 percent) from the free throw stripe, while NKU connected on 12-of-16 (75 percent) overall from the line, including an 11-of-15 mark in the second half.
 
The Raiders won the battle on the boards, 34-30, thanks to a 12-3 advantage on the offensive glass that led to 16 Wright State second chance, while Northern Kentucky had a 27-22 edge on the defensive boards. Both sides finished with 10 steals and tallied 19 points off turnovers.
 
Wright State hits the road for the final time during the regular season, traveling north to take on Oakland Friday night in a 9 p.m. nationally televised game on ESPN2 before a Sunday afternoon 1 p.m. start at Detroit Mercy. The Raiders return home against Youngstown State (Feb. 24) and Robert Morris (Feb. 26) before heading into the postseason.